Congress: Ron Paul's farewell

Ron Paul’s parting salvo from his farewell speech as a member of Congress: "Our Constitution, which was intended to limit government power and abuse, has failed. The founders warned that a free society depends on a virtuous and moral people. The current crisis reflects that their concerns were justified."

“Representatives Barney Frank, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Republican Ron Paul of Texas, polar opposites on many issues, joined Wednesday in asking the White House to refrain from acting against marijuana users in Colorado and Washington, which became the first states last week to legalize recreational use of the drug,” the Boston Globe writes.

The Atlantic: “On Wednesday, Ron Paul stood on the floor of the House of Representatives, where he has spent 23 years, to deliver his last speech to the body prior to his impending retirement at year's end. His sprawling, poorly organized, deeply principled remarks lasted nearly 48 minutes.”

The Boston Globe: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday ridiculed outgoing Senator Scott Brown’s call for bipartisanship in Washington and said he is confident that a Democrat could beat Brown in a special election, if Senator John Kerry were to vacate his seat for a Cabinet position.”

Said Reid: “I saw during the campaign his plea for bipartisanship. That is a big joke. It’s a travesty. He was one of the most partisan people that’s ever served here.” More: “He could have saved Citizens United…. He could have been the 60th vote on that and many other things. So I don’t need a lecture from him on bipartisanship.”

His Citizens United comment was because Brown voted against the DISCLOSE Act, “which would have required corporations, unions and nonprofits that spend money on elections to identify themselves in ads and, in some cases, to name their donors.”

“The Senate took a babystep towards considering the defense authorization bill on Wednesday, but key lawmakers are aiming for the real work on the bill to begin after Thanksgiving,” National Journal writes. “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., made the motion to proceed--asking for members to consent to bring up the legislation-- on Wednesday afternoon. Members have so far given speeches on topics largely unrelated to the legislation. The bill provides $525.8 billion to fund the Pentagon’s general operations and $88.5 billion for the ‘overseas contingency operations’ account that funds the war in Afghanistan.”